


PTSD

by Squirrel_Stone



Series: Darcy Lewis, PR Master [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Darcy Lewis Is a Good Bro, Darcy Lewis PR Master, Gen, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Steve Rogers Has Issues, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-25
Updated: 2015-01-25
Packaged: 2018-03-08 23:55:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3228293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squirrel_Stone/pseuds/Squirrel_Stone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder<br/>noun: a psychological reaction occurring after experiencing a highly stressing event (as wartime combat, physical violence, or a natural disaster) that is usually characterized by depression, anxiety, flashbacks, recurrent nightmares, and avoidance of reminders of the event —abbreviation PTSD —called also post-traumatic stress syndrome</p>
            </blockquote>





	PTSD

S.H.I.E.L.D. had fallen, forcing Jane, Darcy, Erik, and of course Thor to move into the Tower now that their funding was gone. Or evil. Since Jane and Darcy had been working with Loki’s Scepter at the time of the fall, they knew where it was in the S.H.I.E.L.D. (or rather HYDRA) base and were talking with the others about how to get it back over dinner out.

“They’ve probably moved it by now,” Steve declared, taking a bite of his Greek farro salad. “They know you know where it is and are bound to come looking for it. They’ve probably moved everything by now.”

That earned a moan from Jane, and she slumped in her seat. “If HYDRA has that stupid scepter-”

“They won’t for long,” Thor assured the woman. “We’ll find it before they can cause any trouble.”

Clint raised an eyebrow. “Loki had it for about a week, and he sure caused a lot of problems,” he grumbled. He glanced up briefly to see a birthday party being set up at a nearby table.

The group went on mumbling and muttering about what the hell to do when their entrees arrived.

“Any new leads on Bucky?” Bruce asked.

Steve shook his head. “He came to the city, but the trail went cold after that,” he explained. “I’ll probably have to wait until he winds up in another country before I hear anything.”

_Pop!_

A child at the table with the birthday party popped a balloon. Steve flinched.

“When did kids start deciding that was appropriate behavior?” Jane muttered, rubbing her temple. While the sound wasn’t frightening for her, it sure was annoying.

_Pop!_

Steve lurched in his seat. He took in a shaky breath, leaning his elbows on the table and pursing his lips.

“You okay, Steve?”

_Pop! Pop! Poppop!_

Steve practically jumped out of his seat, knocking his chair over as he did. He left the restaurant, Darcy acting first and following him.

The child was completely oblivious to what he had done, but Tony tapped the arm of one of the adults at the table and made a quick slashing noise across his throat, shaking his head. The man realized what was going on, but the damage was done.

Darcy walked out of the restaurant to see Steve leaning up against the wall, shaking and struggling to breathe. The flashes from camera phones of people waiting in line to get into the restaurant didn’t help. “Hey,” she muttered, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay-”

Years of training kicked in, and Steve grabbed Darcy’s wrist, pinning her to the wall by placing his free arm on her neck.

Darcy let out a strangled cry, and Steve dropped her upon realizing it was just her. The woman coughed, resting a hand on her throat and panting as Steve took a step away, bracing himself on the wall again. The soldier let out a yell that dissolved into sobs, sliding down the wall so he was sitting. The cameras were still flashing, so Darcy did what she could.

She ripped the nearest one out of its owner’s hands and threw it into the street. “Back off!” she yelled at the crowd, thankful that the bouncer was shielding Steve rather than trying to get in on the action.

Darcy went back to Steve, getting down on her knees and attempting to look in his eyes, but he had his head bowed. “It’s okay,” she whispered, placing her hands on either side of his face. “It’s alright. Everything’s okay; you’re not in the war anymore.”

Steve continued to sob, rocking back and forth a little. He didn’t stop Darcy from putting her hands on him or sitting down right next to him. He even let her pull him in closer until his head was resting on her chest.

“You’re safe,” Darcy whispered to him. “You’re safe.” She pet his hair and kissed his head, waiting patiently until Steve calmed down and the episode stopped. There were still a few people stupid enough to keep taking photos with their flash on, but Darcy kept herself positioned so Steve couldn’t see.

The rest of the team came out after finishing dinner to see Darcy holding Steve, singing a slow song to him. She noticed the group coming out and whispered to Steve. “Are you ready to go home?” she asked, receiving a nod.

No one talked about it on the car ride home, knowing that if Steve wanted to say anything, he would. Instead, he kept himself leaning on Darcy’s shoulder, thankful for the protection of the tiny intern.

Later that night, after she’d made sure Steve got to sleep okay, Darcy walked into her own apartment to see Nick Fury standing there. “Apparently reports of your death have been greatly over exaggerated,” she declared. She should have been freaking out, but she’d had too much to deal with that day.

Nick Fury rolled his eye and handed Darcy a file. “I want you to keep them on course,” he explained, watching as Darcy warily opened the file. It held information on the location of Bucky Barnes. “Some people are too busy caring for the world that they forget to care for themselves. You care about people, Miss Lewis, and that’s what they need. Handler, caretaker, PR manager… can you do that?”

Darcy looked up at the man, knowing full well he’d given her the offer of a lifetime.

“Not for you, not for your fledgling little rebuild,” she replied firmly. “For them.”

**Author's Note:**

> I know that people sometimes like to focus on Bucky's PTSD once he gets back and talk about how Steve helps him through it, but I think it's also important to mention Steve's struggles. He got yanked from war when he put the Valkyrie in the water and was pushed right back into it with the Avengers and everything that happened after. They even hinted that Steve had PTSD at the start of the Avengers when he's at the punching bag and having flashbacks. Steve needs to work through his own issues before he can be the support beam for someone else.
> 
> Also on a side note, Darcy's MBTI in this series is ESFJ. Whether she's an F or a T had been up for a lot of debate (especially since either has her being an SJ, a Guardian archetype), but I think she shows a slight preference to F over T.


End file.
